After securing two narrow road wins, Oregon State is back in Corvallis
to face a much-improved Colorado team Saturday. Here’s what I’ll be
watching for when the Beavers host the Buffaloes at noon:

1.
Development of run game: For the fifth straight week, OSU’s nonexistent
ground attack is a chief concern. At this point, only two FBS teams
— winless Connecticut and Florida International — are averaging fewer
than the Beavers’ 55 yards per game. OSU understands it must diversify
its offense, but a number of factors have made that tough. The Beavers
have played from behind much of the season, forcing them to the air. A
dinged-up offensive line has struggled to create holes for the running
backs. And top ball carrier Storm Woods will miss his second contest
since suffering a concussion at Utah. So will OSU finally establish its
ground game against Colorado? Will new starter Terron Ward piece
together a memorable showing? Not likely. The Buffaloes boast the
Pac-12’s second-best rushing defense at 77 yards allowed per game.

2.
Limiting penalties: The Beavers have been their own worst enemy at
times this season. They regularly allow mental errors to cost them
yardage, moving them out of field-goal range or short of a critical
first down. OSU averages a whopping 8.5 penalties per game, ninth most
in the country. Such miscues made securing a win at struggling San Diego
State difficult last week. The Beavers lost 99 yards on 13 penalties,
more than a few of which significantly hurt scoring chances. And most of
them were completely unnecessary, players said. They had a host of
false starts against SDSU, which is ultimately a byproduct of
inattention. The Beavers must improve their focus if they hope to keep
pace deeper in their Pac-12 slate. Quality teams have a knack for
feasting on mistakes.

3. Rommel Mageo solidifying starting role:
As the Beavers’ only returning middle linebacker who saw game action in
2012, Joel Skotte didn’t seem to have much competition for his starting
role entering the season. But after missing some early tackles at SDSU
last week, Skotte was pulled in favor of redshirt freshman Rommel Mageo.
The Pago Pago, America Samoa, native impressed coaches with his speed
and finished the game with six tackles, including 2.5 for loss. A couple
days later, coach Mike Riley named Mageo the starter. But Skotte, who
has just 14 tackles this year, isn’t willing to cede his first-string
status so easily. He called his demotion a “wake-up call” Tuesday,
adding that “I’ve got to get my spot back.” Will he start making his
case to regain his role Saturday? Or will Mageo continue to outperform
his teammate and end the competition altogether?

4. Handling Paul
Richardson: For Colorado to pull off the upset, Richardson will likely
need to put up some gaudy numbers. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior has
emerged as one of the country’s top receivers this season, averaging an
FBS-leading 208.5 receiving yards per game. And outside of quarterback
Connor Wood, the Buffaloes don’t seem to have many other playmakers.
Richardson has gained more than twice as many yards as any other
Colorado receiver, and more than four times as many as its top running
back. So the Beavers’ secondary should have a simple game plan come
Saturday: try to take Richardson out of the contest with double teams. That
could prove a difficult task for a unit that is allowing 287 passing
yards per game. 5. Steven Nelson’s continued progression: After a
forgettable debut against Eastern Washington, Nelson started proving
why he was one of the country’s most recruited junior college
cornerbacks last year. He has nabbed four interceptions over three games,
including last week’s game-clinching pick-6 at San Diego State. It’s
been a critical development for a secondary trying to replace Jordan
Poyer, arguably the best defensive player to ever don the black and orange. But can Nelson improve his
consistency and help Rashaad Reynolds form a duo of lockdown
cornerbacks? Senior Sean Martin, who has split time with Nelson and is
nursing a shoulder injury, may have to play limited minutes Saturday. And
that could give Nelson the perfect opportunity to officially seize the
starting left cornerback job. He was listed as a co-starter with Martin
on this week’s depth chart.